1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to games that combine chance and strategy, and, more particularly, to such a game wherein collectable trading cards are used in a folded configuration to provide individual hand-held playing pieces used in a game of strategy.
2. Description of Related Art
Trading cards, collectables, and games are all well known. A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card that is intended for trading and collecting. Some trading cards are used in game play. Collectable trading cards originally as premiums distributed with tobacco products, but became very popular as inserts to bubblegum packs. Eventually, the cards became the more desirable content, and the gum, with few exceptions, is no longer included in trading card packs.
Trading cards are traditionally associated with sports; baseball cards are especially well-known. Cards dealing with other subjects are often considered a separate category from sports cards, known as editorial trading cards or simply nonsports trading cards. These often feature cartoons, comic book characters, television series, or movie stills.
As with collectable cards, which they generally resemble, trading cards may sometimes be used to play various games. In the 1990s, cards designed specifically for playing games became popular enough to develop into a distinct category of collectible card games. These tend to use either fantasy subjects or sports as the basis for gameplay.
Accordingly, the prior art reveals the following contributions to the art of collectable card games. A typical example of a collectable trading card game incorporating elements of strategy and chance is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,332, issued to Garfield. Garfield discloses a trading card game and method of play. In one version, the game components comprise energy cards, and command or spell cards having commands or spells associated therewith that utilize the energy to enable a player to attack, defend and modify the effect of other energy cards, spell cards. The goal of the game is to reduce the life points of other players to a level below one. In this game of strategy and chance, players construct their own library of cards, preferably from trading cards, and play their library or deck of cards against the deck of cards of an opposing player. Cards may be obtained from retail outlets, trading with other players or collectors, and winning cards at games and tournaments.
Other games found in the art utilize folded paper devices, familiar to many, and identified generally as “fortune teller” novelty devices. A “fortune teller”, also alternatively known as a “cootie catcher” is an origami device used in fortune-telling games by children. There are two positions that the device can be held, generally forming either an opening elongate along a first axis or an opening elongate along a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis switching positions is used to mean opening it into the other position. U.S. Pat. No. 502,896, issued to Vine, discloses a device used for amusement and advertising, produced as a simple and cheap device. The device consists of a piece of paper, adapted to be folded into the familiar “fortune teller” shape. Suitable designs are printed in independent sections in proper relation so as to fit together and present a desired appearance when in use.
In a similar manner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,563, issued to Drohomirecky et al., adapts a “fortune teller” novelty device as a game component, wherein first and second indicia means on inner flaps are provided, with the first indicia being viewable when the panels are positioned in one position, and the second indicia being viewable when the panels are positioned in another position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,262, issued to Rosendale et al., discloses a multi-surface novelty piece and method for making same. The novelty piece generally comprises a “fortune teller” device fabricated from a single sheet of paper having printing on both sides.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,632, issued to Gibbons, discloses a fortune telling toy made to be held in the hands of a player for manipulation into specific positions. The toy is comprised of a body portion formed by folding and reinforcing a sheet of flexible material. The body is comprised of an inner surface and an outer surface. When folded and reinforced in the specified format, flexible outer flaps are integrally formed and allow the players fingers and thumb to slide under said flaps to manipulate the body portion between specific positions. The folding of the sheet also produces a plurality of flexible inner flaps that are integrally formed with the body portion and hingeably secured thereto and adapted to be disposed in a closed position in overlapping relationship with the body portion to an open position extending upwardly from the body portion, with each inner flap having a viewable outer surface marked with indicia and an inner surface. The inner flaps formed by the folding are sliced or divided so as to form a greater number of inner flaps. In the preferred embodiment, substantially translucent sheet material forms one or more card holder layers and is sewn or otherwise attached to the inner flap to form a pocket. Chance means or message cards are slid into the pocket between the card holder layer and the inner surface. When held in specific positions, a multiple of the inner flaps is revealed and the indicia marked on the viewable outer surface of said inner flaps is visible.
While these disclosures may be suitable for the particular purposes to which they are addressed, they fail to provide a collectable card game involving elements of strategy and chance played with the fortune teller novelty device.